RELIGION: Holy day is celebrated

MUSLIMS from across Peterborough gathered to show their contempt for acts of inhumanity taking place all over the world.

MUSLIMS from across Peterborough gathered to show their contempt for acts of inhumanity taking place all over the world.Worshippers at the Burton Street Mosque yesterday dressed in black for a march through the city centre to denounce all injustice.

It was part of their celebrations of the holy day of Ashura, which marks the martyrdom of the Prophet Mohammed's grand-son Imam Husain – he was murdered in Iraq in AD 680 because he refused to meet the tyrannical demands of the ruling regime.

He won the battle, considered a fight for humanity, but 72 of his followers lost their lives.

Fatima Manji, spokeswoman for the mosque, said: "The message was about

justice for human rights and that it is not justifiable to do bad acts in the name of religion. We felt it went really well.

"This was very much an event to engage with people, raise awareness about Islam, talking about injustice and the event of Ashura holy day."

After lunchtime prayers at the mosque in Eastgate, Peterborough, the Islamic

followers marched to Cathedral Square to show their condemnation for those who break human rights.

They then heard speeches from the Imam, which rang out across the city centre, talking about the day and how it relates to a modern context.

The speeches condemned human rights abuses in today's society in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan and the terrorist attacks on Britain.

The 350 members then marched back to their mosque to continue their celebrations, discussing the significance of the day with their fellow friends and followers.

Ms Manji hoped the Ashura event would help foster better understanding of Islam and bridge the gap between Muslims and the rest of the community in times of difficulty.